With the most talked about wedding coming up in a few weeks, we take a look back at the life of Prince William and Kate. View the timeline of their childhood, education and how they ended up together
Created by aterry on Mar 20, 2011
Last updated: 04/06/11 at 01:42 PM
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Kate is formally introduced to public life when she accompanies William to a lifeboat naming ceremony in Trearddur, North Wales.
Clarence House announced that Middleton's and William's first royal tour of Canada would take place in July 2011.
Announcement is made that the wedding will take place on 29th April 2011, and the media world goes into a frenzy. The day is declared a bank holiday in the UK.
Kate’s parents join a royal hunting party at Balmoral Estate, the Queen’s castle in Scotland. William asks Kate’s father for permission to marry his daughter.
During a trip to Kenya, Prince William proposes to Kate Middleton at one of his favourite spots, the Lewa game reserve.
The Times reports that Kate is pursuing an invasion of privacy suit against a paparazzo who took her pictures over Christmas. The pictures were never published in Britain, and Kate has not pursued the claim.
Kate attends the wedding of William’s cousin Peter Phillips to Canadian Autumn Kelly. William is not in attendance. Two months later Kate attends another friends wedding without William who is away on military operations. This suggests that Kate is a part of the royal family.
William is presented with his RAF wings, and Kate is in attendance during his graduation.
Reports state that Kate has moved in with William at Clarence House.
It is reported that Middleton plans to give up her job as an accessory buyer to become a professional photographer. Months later it’s announced that she intends to take private lessons with photographer Mario Testino, who has taken many photographs of Diana. He also shot the official engagement photos of William and Kate.
Prince William and Harry organize the Concert for Diana in honour of their mother to raise money for various charities. Kate Middleton attends the concert but sits two rows apart from William. For the next year Middleton accompanies William on holidays along with the Royal family.
Will and Kate resume their relationship, according to sources close to the couple and the British press.
The pair calls it quits after five years together. It is reported that they grew increasingly independent since their university days.
William starts army training at Bovington Camp barracks in southwest England.
On a night out with army pals, William poses for pictures with arms around girls in a nightclub near his barracks.
William graduates from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and officially receives his commission as a lieutenant. Kate attends the Prince's passing-out parade at Sandhurst, making this the first high profile event that she attends as a guest of Williams and in the presence of Queen Elizabeth.
Kate accepts a position as an accessory buyer with clothing chain Jigsaw.
Speculation of an engagement reaches a fever pitch. The British chain store Woolworth’s unveils Kate-and-Will engagement thimbles, china ware and mouse pads.
Pictures surface of the two kissing at Klosters, days before William begins his army training.
Kate complains to her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating that she has done nothing to deserve such publicity.
Middleton's lawyers ask newspapers to leave her alone as press interest in her grows.
William joins the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Team in Wales. The pair graduate from St. Andrews and head to Kenya for a romantic break
Prince Charles marries girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles, now Duchess of Cornwall. In what was a considered a royal snub, Kate is not invited to the wedding.
Pictures come out of the pair skiing in Klosters, Switzerland. Close friends no longer deny that Kate and William and are an item. William knocks down engagement rumours saying, he won’t marry until he’s “28, or maybe 30.”
Kate splits from her boyfriend.
At the age of 21, Prince William is appointed Counsellor of State and begins his royal duties
The pair move into a student house with two other friends. Rumours emerge that the couple are together, even though Kate is seeing someone else.
William reportedly pays £200 for a front row seat to a cheeky charity fashion show at which Kate walks the runway wearing the now famous eye catching see through dress. The dress, now a popular item, sold at an auction for $125,000.
Prince William and Kate Middleton meet at St. Andrews University, where they’re both studying art history. William decides he’s no good at art. Kate convinces him to stay in school after he starts to have doubts and switches his concentration to geography.
Prince William turns 18 and the media ramp up their coverage of the future king. In his final year at Eton college, William excels at his studies and emerges as a popular student. After graduation he takes a year off to tour Chile and Africa.
An estimated 2.5 billion people watch the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. She is buried in Althorp Park, her family’s home in the English countryside. William accompanies his father and brother in walking behind the funeral cortege from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
A horrific high-speed car crash in a tunnel in Paris kills Diana, Dodi al-Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. Charles reportedly waits until the morning to tell William and Harry that their mother has passed away.
Media reports surface that Diana has found a new love, Dodi al-Fayed.
Diana and Charles are divorced. Diana reportedly receives a 17 million pound compensation. She keeps her title as “Princess”, but does not have permission to be called "Your Royal Highness". The decree officially ends the 15-year marriage.
Buckingham Palace confirms Queen Elizabeth had written to Charles and Diana urging them to divorce.
Diana rejects Charles’ alma mater, a boarding school in Scotland, and instead chooses to enroll William at Eton College. He follows in the footsteps of Princess Diana’s father and brother, who also attended the college. An agreement is made between the Royal family and the tabloids that William be allowed to study free of paparazzi intrusion, in exchange for regular updates of the Prince.
Diana sits down for a revealing television interview with the BBC, where she admits adultery with cavalry officer James Hewitt, who Diana says adored her. Diana says in the interview she doubts Charles's ability to handle the responsibility of being king.
Diana, in her goal to keep the children as down to earth as possible, brings the boys to McDonald's and Disneyland, but also to AIDS clinics and homeless shelters. In an interview with ABC’s Martin Bashir she says, "I want them to have an understanding of people's emotions, of people's insecurities, of people's distress, of their hopes and dreams.”
Prime Minister John Major announces the formal separation of the couple in parliament. William is 10 years old at this point.
William makes his first public appearance during Charles and Diana’s official visit to Cardiff, Wales.
Carole and Michael Francis start up Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells party supplies and decorations. They become self made millionaires, and Kate is also part of the family business.
Charles renews his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he refers to as “the love of his life.” Diana and Charles continue their public life and duties, but in private are leading completely separate lives.
Reports start to surface of trouble in the royal marriage
Henry Charles Albert David, known as Harry, is born.
The Middleton family, including Kate’s sister, Phillipa “Pippa” Middleton and her brother James William live in Amman, Jordan where Kate attends an English language nursery school.
Princess Diana, known for being a hands-on parent, wants her children to have a normal childhood. She takes William, nine months at the time, along to an official visit to Australia.
A Prince is born. William is born at St Mary's Hospital, the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and third grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Diana is said to have suffered from post partum depression. Prince William is the second in line following his father.
Kate Middleton is born to parents Michael Francis and Carole Elizabeth Middleton in Reading, Berkshire
Diana and Prince Charles are married in what is dubbed as a “fairytale wedding” at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The ceremony is watched by 750 million people worldwide. The beautiful young princess captivates the world.
Carole Goldsmith marries Michael Francis Middleton at Parish Church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire Parish Church
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